I don’t know about you, but I think there is something ridiculously exciting about sending or receiving a handwritten piece of mail through the post! I think it’s the idea of being more thoughtful that I’m drawn to; doing something that I know will make someone, somewhere smile.
I’m really interesting in the notion of mail art and postal projects, one of my favourites is by a brilliant and quirky indie magazine called Oh Comely. In November, they set up a project called the Perfect Stranger where you get paired with someone from around the world to swap parcels of thoughtful gifts! Their next swap is scheduled for May in case you were wondering and I would 100% recommend getting involved!
I have a bit of an obsession with collecting vintage and unusual postcards and a couple of months ago while trawling the internet, I came across a site called Postcrossing! It is a fantastic way to have a brief connection with someone somewhere in the world without the commitment of having a long term pen pal. I am going to attempt to explain it, but it really is much simpler than it sounds!
Basically, Postcrossing generates an address somewhere in the world and a unique code, you then write them a postcard (including the code) and send it. When they receive your postcard, they will input the code into the website. You will then join the queue, so the next time someone wants to send a postcard, your address will be generated. So essentially, you could send a postcard to Germany, but receive one back from Alaska – simple, huh?
To go into a little more detail, you begin by making a free account on the site, this allows you to write a little profile about yourself and gives the person sending the postcard an indication of what you like. I like to keep mine super simple – naming just a few things that I’m interested in – but I have seen really long, in-depth profiles, which is fine also!
When you are ready to go, select the ‘send a postcard’ option. You are then generated a random address – it could be in France, Germany, Spain, or even China, Brazil or Indonesia. Once the address has been generated, you get to see their profile, which lists some information about them. People also discuss the sorts of things they like to receive; someone once asked for the weirdest postcard in my collection, and someone had set up a profile for their cat Alfred! I always try to send them one of the postcards they have requested, like animals, landscapes, or black and white photography, but there really is no pressure – you can send what you like!
In my profile, I stated that I like old or vintage photographs; the first ever postcard I received was from Canada and it was the most wonderful photograph of three old men. It was a vintage print she’d picked up from a charity store. It really is a fantastically thoughtful method of communication.
Don’t feel pressured to write more than you are comfortable with; I began by writing very little, sometimes a quote or about where I live. Again, in the profile sometimes people ask you what you’re into. But no pressure, you can be as elusive as you like! Don’t forget to put the code on the card and voila! You are ready to send! The standard price of an international postcard stamp is 97p and can be sent anywhere in the world.
Once your card has been received, the receiver will then register the code online, and this puts you in the queue! The more you send, the more you receive; when I first started, I was posting a couple every week, but now I like to send five at the start of the month and then throughout the month, I’ll get some drop on my door mat! It’s so wonderful to see where the cards have come from and what people have to say!
I collect postcards, so have quite a stack ready to use, but sometimes I just can’t part with them, so I purchase new ones! Paperchase have a great selection and are only 60p each. I also like to look on Etsy for unique illustrated or letterpress cards, and then museums and art galleries are also great places to get some unusual cards to send off around the world.
If you are unsure, my advice is to just give it a go! It really is a brilliant way to briefly engage with people from all around the world, learn about different cultures and receive some really great postcards! I would be interesting to hear if any of you partake in any postal projects, or if you do get involved in Postcrossing, what you think about it!
I’m really interesting in the notion of mail art and postal projects, one of my favourites is by a brilliant and quirky indie magazine called Oh Comely. In November, they set up a project called the Perfect Stranger where you get paired with someone from around the world to swap parcels of thoughtful gifts! Their next swap is scheduled for May in case you were wondering and I would 100% recommend getting involved!
I have a bit of an obsession with collecting vintage and unusual postcards and a couple of months ago while trawling the internet, I came across a site called Postcrossing! It is a fantastic way to have a brief connection with someone somewhere in the world without the commitment of having a long term pen pal. I am going to attempt to explain it, but it really is much simpler than it sounds!
Basically, Postcrossing generates an address somewhere in the world and a unique code, you then write them a postcard (including the code) and send it. When they receive your postcard, they will input the code into the website. You will then join the queue, so the next time someone wants to send a postcard, your address will be generated. So essentially, you could send a postcard to Germany, but receive one back from Alaska – simple, huh?
To go into a little more detail, you begin by making a free account on the site, this allows you to write a little profile about yourself and gives the person sending the postcard an indication of what you like. I like to keep mine super simple – naming just a few things that I’m interested in – but I have seen really long, in-depth profiles, which is fine also!
When you are ready to go, select the ‘send a postcard’ option. You are then generated a random address – it could be in France, Germany, Spain, or even China, Brazil or Indonesia. Once the address has been generated, you get to see their profile, which lists some information about them. People also discuss the sorts of things they like to receive; someone once asked for the weirdest postcard in my collection, and someone had set up a profile for their cat Alfred! I always try to send them one of the postcards they have requested, like animals, landscapes, or black and white photography, but there really is no pressure – you can send what you like!
In my profile, I stated that I like old or vintage photographs; the first ever postcard I received was from Canada and it was the most wonderful photograph of three old men. It was a vintage print she’d picked up from a charity store. It really is a fantastically thoughtful method of communication.
Don’t feel pressured to write more than you are comfortable with; I began by writing very little, sometimes a quote or about where I live. Again, in the profile sometimes people ask you what you’re into. But no pressure, you can be as elusive as you like! Don’t forget to put the code on the card and voila! You are ready to send! The standard price of an international postcard stamp is 97p and can be sent anywhere in the world.
Once your card has been received, the receiver will then register the code online, and this puts you in the queue! The more you send, the more you receive; when I first started, I was posting a couple every week, but now I like to send five at the start of the month and then throughout the month, I’ll get some drop on my door mat! It’s so wonderful to see where the cards have come from and what people have to say!
I collect postcards, so have quite a stack ready to use, but sometimes I just can’t part with them, so I purchase new ones! Paperchase have a great selection and are only 60p each. I also like to look on Etsy for unique illustrated or letterpress cards, and then museums and art galleries are also great places to get some unusual cards to send off around the world.
If you are unsure, my advice is to just give it a go! It really is a brilliant way to briefly engage with people from all around the world, learn about different cultures and receive some really great postcards! I would be interesting to hear if any of you partake in any postal projects, or if you do get involved in Postcrossing, what you think about it!
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